From rxpgnews.com
India to aid war-hit civilians in Sri Lanka
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Apr 29, 2007 - 8:07:46 AM
New Delhi, April 29 - Convinced that Sri Lanka's peace process has been spiked for now, India wants to help civilians hit by the escalating conflict. As for Norway, it is staying put as peace broker despite a snub from Colombo.
India's thinking is expected to take concrete shape soon as New Delhi takes a fresh look at the various cards it can play in a seemingly bleak situation where both protagonists seem determined to fight it out.
Indian strategic planners remain convinced that there can be no military solution to the Sri Lankan conflagration, which has taken a menacing shape since late 2005 leaving thousands dead and many thousands homeless.
The suffering of the civilians, overwhelmingly Tamil, is a major concern here. This is one of the areas on which India remains in regular touch with Sri Lankan authorities.
'We have our points of view, our concerns, and we keep conveying them to Sri Lanka,' an informed source told IANS. India, the source added, was in touch with all parties in the island except the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -.
There is a feeling that India should play a more pro-active role in assisting those displaced by the conflict. Their numbers run into tens of thousands, more so in the island's eastern province.
India may also like to launch development projects in areas inhabited by 'Indian Tamils' in the island's tea growing central hills.
It was the then foreign secretary Shyam Saran who in August 2005 declared during a trip to Sri Lanka: 'The welfare and well-being of the people in the northeast is very close to India's heart.'
With the Norwegian-brokered February 2002 ceasefire agreement - between Colombo and the LTTE barely breathing, the one question that nags Indian policy planners is: what next?
The issue is important because New Delhi did play a key but behind-the-scene role in the framing of CFA five years ago when the Bharatiya Janata Party - ruled India.
India also contributed to the setting up of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission -, whose members were to oversee truce violations. Along with CFA, the SLMM too is in a shambles now.
While New Delhi remains committed to Sri Lanka's territorial unity, it is equally firm that only a political solution acceptable to broad sections among the Tamils can bring about an ultimate negotiated settlement.
And so it remains supportive of the role Norway has played, knowing well that the situation has reached a point where the international actors have ceased to play a determining role in Sri Lanka's limping peace process.
Only this week, Sri Lanka made that point clear by telling Norway not to go to the LTTE-held north to meet Tiger leaders.
While accepting Sri Lanka's diktat, Norway remains committed to playing its role as the peace facilitator.
'The Sri Lankan decision will have no impact on Norway,' a diplomatic source in the know of things told IANS. 'Norway will continue doing what it is doing.'
Norwegian diplomats feel the Colombo decision is linked to the heavy aerial bombings of the northeastern region. Sri Lanka says it is only hitting at LTTE. But rights activists claims the worst sufferers are Tamil civilians.
Both India and Norway have their fingers crossed since a negotiated settlement in Sri Lanka now looks no more than a dream.
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